{"id":47471,"date":"2021-12-02T09:30:35","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T14:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=47471"},"modified":"2021-12-02T10:36:32","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T15:36:32","slug":"how-to-swallow-a-pill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-to-swallow-a-pill\/","title":{"rendered":"How to teach children to swallow a pill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like riding a bike or counting from one to 10, swallowing a pill is something you\u2019ll need to teach your child. Much like other skills, some children swallow medication naturally and quickly\u2014while others will need a little extra guidance. While this is inconvenient when your child is already not feeling their best, learning how to swallow a pill is a necessary life lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Medications commonly prescribed to kids are usually available in <\/span>different forms<\/span><\/a>\u2014liquid or capsules you can put into food\u2014precisely because it\u2019s so common for children to have difficulty swallowing tablets. Yet, liquids or capsules may come with drawbacks. They might have a flavor your child doesn\u2019t like, or needs refrigeration, which further complicates giving medication while traveling. And, as your child grows older, not all medications can be<\/span> crushed, mixed into liquids, or split<\/span><\/a>\u2014such as time-released medications or coated tablets. Difficulty taking medication greatly impacts medication adherence. <\/span>A study<\/span><\/a> found that 70% of people who had difficulty swallowing pills (also called dysphagia) skipped medication. Before that becomes an issue, use this guide on how to get a child to swallow a pill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why children have a hard time swallowing a pill<\/span><\/h2>\n

If it\u2019s your child\u2019s first time swallowing a pill, it might help you to understand why they struggle with this skill. First, it\u2019s common. One <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> found that 26% of the participants of all ages had trouble swallowing tablets. It may be because children\u2019s oral muscular and nervous systems aren\u2019t fully developed yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Others have an overactive gag reflex making them feel like they are going to vomit when they try to swallow a pill. This adds up to a negative experience. That may cause them to experience a tightness in their throat (sometimes called a globus sensation) from fear or anxiety about swallowing the pill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Difficulty swallowing pills can be a dental issue, such as dry mouth. \u201cWe often see children and adults struggle with swallowing pills when they have a forward tongue thrust,\u201d says <\/span>Christine Miroddi Yoder<\/span><\/a>, a speech pathologist and founder of Cove Speech Therapy. \u201cThis is when the tongue is pushing food forward instead of backward. When there is a hard substance like a pill that doesn\u2019t stick to the tongue as well as food, it makes it easy for the pill to slide forward in the mouth.\u201d This can make medicine harder to swallow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fear of swallowing pills<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cThe most common fear kids have is choking on the pill,\u201d says <\/span>Pierrette Mimi Poinsett<\/span><\/a>, MD, a medical consultant at Mom Loves Best. This fear may have developed if they choked on food or candy in the past. Some kids with sensory issues are more aware of the feeling of the pill going down their throat, which may develop into a fear of choking, or the pill getting stuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like other fears and phobias, finding the source of your children\u2019s anxiety and helping them learn how to swallow a pill can make a difference. Reasoning with your child on why taking medication is necessary may also help. Remind your children that swallowing a pill is similar to other skills they learned like reading or writing. Practice makes it easier. Try these techniques.\"How<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Tips on how to swallow a pill<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cIt may take a couple of weeks for your child to learn how to swallow a pill,\u201d Dr. Poinsett says. \u201cMost children can learn to swallow a pill at about age 10. Some children can learn how to swallow a pill as early as age 5 or 6.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First practice with smaller pieces of candy like Tic Tacs or mini M&Ms. Then, work your way up to larger sizes, like Good & Plenty or Mike and Ikes. Explain and then demonstrate the following steps to swallow a pill:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Moisten your mouth with water, and swallow a little.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Place the pill, or candy, on your tongue toward the front or middle of your mouth. (The back of your tongue can trigger a gag reflex.)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Take a big gulp of water and look at the floor so the pill floats to the back of the throat.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Once your child is able to swallow the candy during a practice session, repeat the steps with the pill. Provide lots of praise and positive reinforcement. If those three steps aren\u2019t enough, these ideas can help.<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. Use a soda bottle<\/span><\/h3>\n

    First fill up a plastic water bottle or soda bottle that has a narrow opening with water. Have your children put the pill in their mouths, then drink from the bottle making sure to keep contact between the bottle and their lips. Kids should use a sucking motion to swallow the water and pill without allowing air to get into the bottle. <\/span>Researchers<\/span><\/a> found that using the soda bottle method (also known as the \u201cpop bottle method\u201d) helped 60% of people successfully swallow a pill.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Try the lean forward method<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Tell kids to first put the pill on their tongues and then take a sip of water\u2014but don\u2019t swallow. When they do swallow, they should tilt their heads down toward their chests. The lean-forward technique helped <\/span>88% of study participants<\/span><\/a> to swallow pills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Use a straw<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Have your children place the pill on their tongue, and then use a straw to take three gulps of water. It can reduce air in the mouth and throat, making swallowing pills easier, says <\/span>Sheldon Zablow<\/span><\/a>, MD, author of <\/span>Your Vitamins are Obsolete: The Vitamer Revolution: A Program for Healthy Living and Healthy Longevity<\/span><\/i>. Additionally, the movement of sealing lips around the straw and sucking can help distract from the feeling of the pill in the mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. Take the pill with a thick liquid<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Have your child take the pill with a milkshake or a different thick drink. The consistency of a smoothie will mask the feeling of the pill in the mouth, and make it less detectable as kids swallow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    5. Mix with food<\/span><\/h3>\n

    \u201cPlacing the pill in a small amount of pur\u00e9ed food like yogurt with granola works well,\u201d says Miroddi Yoder. \u201cThe food will help keep the pill from sliding around, and it will be swallowed with the food.\u201d Applesauce, Jell-O, and pudding are also good choices. Before you mix the medication with food, check with your pharmacist to make sure it is okay. Some medications should be taken without eating.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Alternatives to taking pills<\/span><\/h2>\n

    If you tried all the steps and your child is still struggling, take a break and ask your child\u2019s physician for alternative medication. Some options include:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Orally disintegrating tablets<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Chewable tablets<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Liquid form<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Capsules that can be opened and mixed with food<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      If the difficulty persists, you may want to have your child evaluated by a specialist such as an ear, nose, and throat doctor or a speech-language pathologist for a swallowing assessment. Some kids may have developmental delays or other problems related to the ability to swallow that a specialist can easily address.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Frequently asked questions about how to take a pill<\/span><\/h2>\n
        \n
      • What is the fear of swallowing pills called?<\/b> It\u2019s called phagophobia and it\u2019s a fear of swallowing solid foods, liquids, or pills because of worries about choking.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • How do you take a pill when you’re scared?<\/b> The key to overcoming fear of swallowing pills is to distract yourself from the feeling of the pill in your mouth. For kids, using a soda bottle, or drinking a pill with a milkshake can help.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      • What happens if you let a pill dissolve in your mouth? <\/b>Certain medications are made to orally disintegrate, or dissolve in your mouth. These pills are often labeled on the prescription bottle ODT (orally disintegrating tablets). Regular pills are not meant to dissolve in the mouth and can harm the lining of your mouth or throat, and will taste very bitter. Or, the pill won\u2019t break down because it requires stomach acid to fully dissolve.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Why does it feel like a pill stuck in my throat? <\/b>If your throat is very dry, the globus sensation can make it feel like the pill is stuck. Drink lots of water to help the sensation go away.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Can you crush a pill and drink it? \/ Can I crush a pill and mix it with water? <\/b>Always talk to your pharmacist before crushing pills. Certain medications can safely be mixed with liquids or food. Others, especially time release medications, are dangerous to crush. It can lead to overdose from too quickly absorbing too much of the medication.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Like riding a bike or counting from one to 10, swallowing a pill is something you\u2019ll need to teach your child. Much like other skills, some children swallow medication naturally and quickly\u2014while others will need a little extra guidance. While this is inconvenient when your child is already not feeling their best, learning how to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":46893,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[3564,788,13141],"coauthors":[20598],"class_list":["post-47471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-children","tag-drug-safety","tag-parenting","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to teach children to swallow a pill<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Does your child have difficulty swallowing pills? 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